Author
Topic: Bamboo Mats for Air Drying (Read 1215 times)

So I have seen Reed and Bamboo air drying mats for sale on several cheese sites. They tend to be small and cost a lot for their size. I saw one site that sold 9x9 reed mats for $3.00 each. And the prices go up from there.

So I was out and about today. I ran across some bamboo mats that are secured with what appears to be a polymer thread. They are 13x19.5 and cost $1.00 each. So I am going to try steaming them and see how they hold up. If all goes well, I may have just located a massive stockpile of cheese mats!

For anyon interested in these, I found them at Big Lots in Trussville, AL. Though I am sure some of the other Big Lots must also carry them.

Or for not much more than needlepoint mats you can get real cheese mats in a variety of sizes and stiffnesses. The advantage of them over needlepoint mats is that they are molded in a woven pattern that allows better drainage and less chance of the whey staying in the mat itself. At the risk of sounding like a shill, PM iratherfly $20 will get you a enough of everything to serve the needs of most hobby cheese makers.

If you do use the bamboo mats, be sure to use egg crate or a baking rack to keep the mat up off of a nonporous surface. Otherwise your cheese will rot in its whey. Once the mats develop mold, there is little that can be done to make them useable again.